The next mention of Samuel Townsend will be found in the minutes of the Committee of Safety, dated
Harlem, Augt. 29, 1776.
The Committee of Safety met.
Colo. Phenehas Fanning waited on the Committee with a letter from Colo. Josiah Smith, colonel of the drafts of the militia of Suffolk, Queens and Kings counties, stationed at Brookland, in Kings county, informing the Committee that his regiment is ordered by Genl. Washington to withdraw from Long Island, and wait the further orders of the Convention of this State. Thereupon it was
Ordered, That Colo. Josiah Smith do, with all possible despatch, march his regiment to Horn’s Hook, there to receive further orders from Mr. Samuel Townsend and Major Lawrence and that he apply to the Commissary-General for five day’s provisions, and to the Quarter-Master-General for baggage wagons, it being of the utmost consequence that his regiment should march without delay. And
Resolved, That Mr. Samuel Townsend and Major Lawrence be requested and authorized to attend the regiment commanded by Colo. Smith, in order to supply the said regiment with provisions, and to devise the most safe and expeditious means of transporting the said regiment from Long island; and that they be authorized and impowered to impress horses, wagons, boats, vessels, &c. for that purpose, for the payment of which, and every other necessary expense, this Committee pledge the public faith.
Ordered, That the Treasurer of this State pay to Mr. Samuel Townsend and Major Lawrence the sum of one hundred pounds, to be by them accounted for to the Convention of this State. [p. 601]
James Townsend, uncle of Robert Townsend, who with John Sloss Hobart attempted to make a stand at Huntington, addressed a letter from there to the Provincial Congress on August 30th, which in part reads:
“Gentlemen—To our unspeakable mortification, we found when we arrived in Queens county, that the militia had dispersed, and General Woodhull had fallen into the hands of the enemy. We then proceeded with all despatch to this town as the only place where we could have any prospect of making an effectual stand, as the enemy were in full possession of the western parts of that county as far as Jamaica, and the disaffected from the east were gone in to them. Though we were not authorized for the purpose by Convention, we have taken upon ourselves to order out the militia of the county to rendezvous here, and have wrote to Col. Mulford at East Hampton, to come up and take the command, as he is now the senior officer in the brigade.... We shall direct the commissary to furnish the militia with provisions....”
Only a few more days on Long Island remained for the faithful followers of Washington and the army. On September 16th, a lone individual passed the spot where Townsend and Hobart had attempted to make a stand only seventeen days before. It was Nathan Hale on his way to a glorified martyrdom.